To The Teachers That Really Cared

From Kindergarten where every kid called their teacher Mommy on accident at some point to Senior year where a teacher is called Mama on purpose, it’s is people like you that I admire. Whether it be showing me how to solve a math problem, reading my essays or poetry, helping me learn all of the bones and muscles, or teaching me about life, I am so thankful for it.

Now that my room is packed, and I'm ready to go off to college, I’ve really been reflecting on how much other people have impacted me, especially my teachers. It is because of you all that I am studying in college to become a teacher. Over the past thirteen years, I have had so many adults in my life that have helped shape me into the person I am today. I am so blessed to have been able to be at this point in my life, and this next chapter could not have been possible without these influencers.

Thank you for teaching me that being myself is a good thing. Ever since middle school, I realized that I never was that kid who was “too cool for school” or even someone that always fit in. In 6th grade, I was the girl that loved to wear dresses to school, and during that year I was called a dork numerous times. With crooked teeth and straight bobbed hair, I was a wide eyed kid who just needed to be loved, and it was my teachers that made me feel cherished at school. I didn’t know many people in the beginning, and I wasn’t your average middle schooler either.

Thank you for moving me away from someone that was mean to me. I clearly remember in 6th grade being picked on in Science class. My mom emailed my teacher later on and explained the situation to her. Almost the very next day, the class seating chart was completely rearranged just for me so that way I could be next to someone that was kind to me. It was moments like those that really stood out to me in my mind.

Thank you for supporting me, even when you didn’t have to. For years, I’ve been involved in theatre in and out of school, and I so appreciate all of the times my teachers came out to see me perform, even in downtown Houston. Those moments made me feel on top of the world and so loved.

Thank you for showing me that I am a leader. If it wasn't for my life being poured into so much, it would have been hard to see myself as someone who has influence. I so appreciate all of the times that I was trained in leadership whether it be in PALs, Student Council, training in clubs or in my faith. It is because of those moments that I learned how to be a servant leader.

Thank you for crying with me. This past year, I knew someone who was about to make a really bad mistake, and I was really broken up about it. What stuck out to me though was while I am hugging my teacher who is like a second mom to me, we were both getting teary eyed. So, thank you for talking to me about it and caring enough about the situation to listen and really understand where I was coming from.

Thank you for caring for me when I got sick. This past year, I began showing very harsh signs of hypoglycemia, and it became so intense that I've had to give up processed sugar. It's been a difficult journey, but one day during this process, I began having hypoglycemic symptoms during class. Not long after I was laying the nurse's office right after class was dismissed, I was greeted with my teacher holding my ten pound backpack and coming to check on me. From then on, I was always welcome to come grab nuts from the drawer in her classroom, and I felt better being at school knowing that someone knew my health issue and was there to help me. That alone means more to me than you'll ever know.

Thank you for teaching me about my faith. In public school, it isn’t super easy to talk about Christ with fellow classmates or teachers, but very frequently, I would come across teachers I could talk to about what I believe. Whether it be in the Christian club I was involved in during middle school or even just in conversations that came up, I super appreciated it. As a teenager, it isn’t easy to walk with Christ without people continuing to encourage me to do so until it really became my own.

Thank you for loving me. Over the years, I have had so many adults come into my life that have shown me why I want to teach in the future. I can only hope to influence students the way I have been impacted over the past thirteen years. So many times I have been blessed by hearing that I was loved when I needed it the most. It was even in the little things. In happy and sad times, the love I received helped me to grow and mature.

Thank you for your letters. I have a drawer in my desk of my most favorite letters I've received, and I could not be more thankful for the encouraging and thoughtful words.

Thank you for listening to me. Thank you for actually hearing what I have to say and being interested in my life. I've thankfully been blessed with a loving family that supports me, but during the school year, a majority of time in our days are spent in class. So it's nice to know that I had people looking out for me and investing in my life even when I wasn't at home. Thank you for caring even though that's not at all in the job description. Thank you for really hearing me out and letting me have more adults in my life that I can have as role models.

Thank you for encouraging me to never give up. In 8th grade, I was surprised to have been placed in my first year of Spanish. I knew though that God had a plan in it, and little did I know, five years later, I would still be in Spanish classes to soon pursue a minor in the language. The journey has not always been easy, but it has been so worth the ride. During high school, I really found my passion for missions, and I had the opportunity to travel to Colombia three times with the student ministry at my church. Those opportunities have changed my life, and if it wasn’t for me falling in love with the language in middle school, I know I would not be nearly the same person that I am today.

Thank you for teaching me not only about the subject I was in, but also about life. Hearing little life lessons and stories never ceased to be interesting. Thank you for teaching me how to be a young adult in this big world and how to get into the college of my dreams.

Thank you for helping me be successful. Thank you for preparing me all of my life for this moment. Going to college is so surreal right now, but it makes me thrilled knowing that I’m where I am supposed to be. I hope that one day I can be as impactful as y’all have been to me.

Thank you.

Love,

A former student